Review: uPro Golf GPS

[mruseless]

  Smallville said:

Hmmmmm telling story there. I didn't know that - - - the GolfLogix has a one-year warranty.

I know you weren't knocking the uPro, and I wouldn't take offense even if you were. I've had a very positive experience, but not everyone will like it as much as I do.

I don't think my Visa automatically doubles the warranty, but I'm not sure. I had the impression that they sell extended warranty services. But I'm sure a quick phone call or two would answer that.

[kfowler]

mruseless - You're right. You can charge it through the USB.

[Guest]

Interesting Update to Upro's course library as of this morning, They offered two version's of any available course, the basic (front,back,total and hazards) and the Pro (fly over, yardages on hole image) The basic was always 1 credit, and the Pro was 3.

As of this morning, all of the basic version's were free, and no longer cost one credit.

Now, keeping in mind, when you purchase the Pro, you automaticly get the basic, why would this be valuable?

Thinking about it, this is great for those course's you may play once or twice a year, where you don't really need to see the layout, and don't play often engough to want the full pro version.

[kfowler]

  lsushawn said:

Thinking about it, this is great for those course's you may play once or twice a year, where you don't really need to see the layout, and don't play often engough to want the full pro version.

I assume that's what their logic is. I also play some courses that I may not want to spend the credits on. I played a course this past weekend that I had a free pass to. It was basically an old pasture and nothing special. I doubt I'll ever play it again. The basic would have been ideal here.

I screwed up on the home course selection. I should have choses my dad's course in Alabama that has not been mapped yet. Instead I chose a local course to me. Oh well.

[bobbyb]

I also noticed the FREE basic mode on the website this morning. This is a great move. I probably won't leverage it often because I am pretty hooked on the Pro view. After playing just my second round and course with my uPro it would be hard to get around without the images. I probably would have jumped in sooner though if they were offering free basic mode before.

BTW, they did get the course I needed mapped in time. Can't say enough about the customer support help.

[mwr]

To all you who have reviewed THANKS!
I was wondering about the shot and score tracking ability and when it was going to be available, so I emailed Upro about 5:00 today to ask. They requested my phone number on the form and I gave it to them. Just rec'd a call back with the answers, I am impressed.

They said the shot and score tracking would be available this spring along with voice reconigtion.

I then asked about there company and one last concern I had was that they where such a new company. Would they be there for the long haul? He said that they had been bought by Calloway.

OK I am off to buy one now.

[bobped]

I saw your post and ran to the upro web site, which already has the Callaway logo on it, so that certainly confirms this, and I agree this is very good news.

So did they tell you whether the voice recognition and shot tracking would be available via firmware update (i.e. new software download) or you have to buy a new unit? I'm trying to imagine how they could support data entry for shot tracking with the current hardware configuration. I use Intelligolf for shot tracking, it runs on my PDA, and is pretty easy to use, but I stopped using it on course when I got the upro, because it was too many devices to carry around and I looked like a super-geek! But Intelligolf requires PDA stylus-sensitive screen, for selecting club, which shot it is, etc. Any details on how the upro shot tracking will work?

[sam004]

Callaway Golf Announces Acquisition of uPlay
Monday January 5, 6:52 pm ET

CARLSBAD, Calif.--Callaway Golf Company today announced it has acquired uPlay, a Carlsbad, California-based developer and marketer of technically superior consumer electronics devices.

http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/090105/20090105006139.html?.v=1

[MiniMoe]

when skycaddie first came out, you did not have to re-up your membership to keep the courses on your unit. You had to pay the $29 to get the first 10 course, then it was supposed to stay at no additional cost. That did not last long at all. When my membership ran out, I sold it and got a laser.

[alpine0000]

Sorry if this has been covered, but I cant seem to find it (even on uPlays website).

How many golf courses can the uPro hold?

[mruseless]

  alpine0000 said:

How many golf courses can the uPro hold?

50, I think.

[bobped]

Yes, it comes with a 1GB SD card, which they say holds 50 courses (I'm only up to 6 myself, but next season I plan to get that into the twenties or thirties). You can buy additional SD cards directly from upro (or presumably cheaper elsewhere), and you can store 50 per card, but only one card can be used at a time. Once you purchase a course, it remains on your personal course list on their website, and you can easily control which courses go into your "playlist" (by adding to the playlist or removing from the playlist), which is the list that is synched to your upro device. Works very well.

[alpine0000]

  bobped said:

Yes, it comes with a 1GB SD card, which they say holds 50 courses (I'm only up to 6 myself, but next season I plan to get that into the twenties or thirties). You can buy additional SD cards directly from upro (or presumably cheaper elsewhere), and you can store 50 per card, but only one card can be used at a time. Once you purchase a course, it remains on your personal course list on their website, and you can easily control which courses go into your "playlist" (by adding to the playlist or removing from the playlist), which is the list that is synched to your upro device. Works very well.

50 is very nice. Some of the competitors can only hold somewhere between 10-20!

[AbsoluteZero]

  alpine0000 said:

50 is very nice. Some of the competitors can only hold somewhere between 10-20!

I'm not sure I've played more than 50 different courses in my entire life... I'm sure there are many people who travel a lot more than I do for golf though, so maybe more than 50 is beneficial to some.

I guess what I'm saying is 50 is awesome! I like that I'd rarely if ever have to remove a course which means they are always going to be there if I decide to go play a course and not have to spend time syncing it up.

[Titleist Man]

I have one question: If i select any random point on the hole can i measure the distance to it and does it show the distance from the pin from the spot i selected? Thanks

[bobped]

Yes and yes. You can scroll to a spot, see how far it is from there, and then scroll to another spot (which may or may not be the green), and it will tell you how far from you to the first spot and then from the first spot to the second spot. You can use it to assess layup spots, but frankly I haven't used it much on the course, I guess mostly because I'm pretty good at math, and since I know how far I am from the green and how far to a proposed layup position I can usually do that math quicker in my head than fiddling a few secs with the uPro.

[mruseless]

Update: uPro updated the software for the device a few months back. I've now had the chance to play a few rounds with it, and wanted to post my experience.

The new update does several things.
1) the greens are now outlined in white. Makes them a little easier to see, since the screen is sometimes tough to make out.
2) the "mark" feature has been re-worked. Now, when you hit "mark", a small red box appears in the lower right corner, showing current distance from the mark. This is VERY useful when you aren't sure where your ball is, but know roughly how far you hit it (please disregard this comment if you are always in the fairway :) ), and also when you want to call out the distances to your buddies without resetting the mark.
3) the "measure" feature now updates dynamically. Before the update, it would only give you distance from your current location. If you moved, it would not update. Now it does. Much better.
4) download speed is a little better. In my original review, I noted that it took a long time. It's still a bit pokey, but better than it was.

There are some other smaller tweaks, but those are the ones that I noticed the most. Stability is improved as well, I have yet to experience a crash or freeze since the update.


Overall: excellent! This GPS unit still gets my highest recommendation.

P.S. One more comment: I've had the device for about a year. In that year, they have mapped 99% of the courses in the Denver area. The only course I could find that isn't mapped is Sanctuary, a completely private course, invite only. I've played it twice :)

[kfowler]

A big improvement is the download screen can be minimized now so you can still surf while syncing. Customer service is superb.